Enhancing the Quality of User Research Using Embedded IoT Sensors for Collecting Life Information

DS 116: Proceedings of the DESIGN2022 17th International Design Conference

Year: 2022
Editor: Mario Štorga, Stanko Škec, Tomislav Martinec, Dorian Marjanović
Author: Tomoyuki Tanaka, Yuki Taoka, Shigeki Saito
Series: DESIGN
Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
Section: Design Support Tools and Methods
Page(s): 613-622
DOI number: https://doi.org/10.1017/pds.2022.63
ISSN: 2732-527X (Online)

Abstract

This study aims at developing a new user research method that uses IoT sensors embedded at users' homes to enable users to recall their memories. The proposed method was evaluated by experiments where four participants individually created user journey maps with quantity data that was collected for seven days. The results showed that IoT sensor data increased the quantity, clarity, and accuracy of recalled memories. This study argues that IoT sensors can be an effective approach to increasing user research quality by triggering users' memories without interfering with users' ordinary lives.

Keywords: user research, empathy, internet of things (IoT), user-centred design, design methods